Markings of face of head

[davem201m38]

Hello all,
I've just carefully used a good wood chisle to remove the traces of old head gasket from my head, and I've noticed the words 'SEAL TESTED' very very lightly stamped on the face about level with the temp sender.
And about opposite No2 cylinder electro etched 'U.S.A.' strangley the writting on both is reversed ie. mirror

Also each cylinder bore is stamped 'C' 'D' etc

I've never noticed that before.

Hey HO,
Dave.

[PeteL]

You think maybe these are the mirror-image "etchings" left from stamped markings on the head gasket, not the motor itself?

Pete

[davem201m38]

Verygood point Pete, I'll look closer,
Dave

[Ryan_Miller]

Dave,

Let us know how things turn out with your motor.

Did you discover the source of your problems yet?
_________________
Ryan Miller
MVPA # 22010

[davem201m38]

Well Ryan..... where shall I start.

Pulled the head and found the rear two cylinders had been runnning a litttle lean. Also during the compression test the compression was down to mid 90s PSI, I should have squirted some oil in to seal the rings and check if it was rings or valves letting the comp. down but I launched straight into strip down as there were a couple of other things I wanted to do.

Before this I did drain + flush and refill the engine with good oil and found no moisture ingress to the sump. So I guess the the water could have been moisture drawn in by engine that then couldn't breathe because the fording valve was accidently shut.
It's hard to explain but I only had a nipple on the end of the fording pull cable , this meant the valve actuator lever could slide along the cable WITHOUT the handle being pulled on the inside.

Anyway removing the head showed no faults with the gasket.

This all give me the chance to get my intake manifold drilled and tapped to take the vacuum draw off line (I have the cast in blank but not the machining.) And to finally correctly run the vac line from that port down to the pump.
Also it 'forces' me to fit the correct carb and the 'widget' , if you check my gallery you'll see I've been running the SOLEX, which is actually a very very good mod. this side of the pond, very common on the M38, well I say common, I know of 3 others! 2 of which turned up at Kemble show and Maeseriks in Belgium.

I may drop the valves and gently regrind the valve guides in the good old fashioned way with the stick-sucker and grinding paste on the rear two cylinders.

It also means I can get round the back of where the head should be and make a neater job of the vac plumbing from the coil etc.

I might even lay in some lines to draw hot water off the engine for a winter heater and it'll give me the chance to fit the felt around the radiator, and change the thermostat of which I'm suspicious.
Hey Ho,
Dave